Before Death **Revised**
by Icy Rhia
Summary: Okay, I got a few flames, so I took a few suggestions, and made this story better.


  
  
  
Before Death  
By: Icy Rhia  
  
  
  
Lily Andrews nervously walked down the aisle in her long, sleeveless, white wedding gown. She was actually getting married! Lily was overcome with joy. It had been only a short happy year before, one year after she had graduated Hogwarts, that her wonderful boyfriend, James Potter, had proposed to her.  
  
It had been a cool, breezy night. They were sitting in the most beautiful garden just outside of Hogsmeade. It was filled with red, yellow, and white roses. Lily was resting her head on James's shoulder, looking out into the wonderfully starry sky.  
  
"Lily," James had whispered softly in her ear. "Lily, do you love me?"  
  
She raised her head, surprised.  
  
"Of course I do, James. I wouldn't be sitting here with you if I didn't."  
  
"Really?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, James." Lily answered, rising suspicion. "You know that. You've known that for four years." She stroked his messy black hair and stared up into his warm brown eyes.  
  
"Because, well, I think we could have a life together. Really, truly be happy together. Because I love you and you love me, right?"  
  
"Yes," she answered, her voice trembling a bit.  
  
"And I think," James went on, staring down at his hands, "That, well, I would always love you, and, well..." tears started to well in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away.  
  
"James, I..." tears started to well in Lily's eyes bright green eyes, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. She let her long red hair hide part of her face.  
  
"Do you think we could make a life together, Lily?" he asked her. "Through richer or poorer, sickness and health, till death do us part?"  
  
Lily stared into his warm brown eyes, the tears falling freely down her face.  
  
"I do, James."  
  
"So, then," James had said, tears welling in his eyes once more. "Lily Andrews," He took her left hand in his, and taking a diamond-encrusted ring out of his pocket, which he placed at the tip of her finger. "Will you marry me?"  
  
She stared up into his eyes as he slid the ring onto her finger. Tears still spilling down her face.   
  
"Oh, James. Yes! I will, I will!" she collapsed into his arms, and they sat there, crying tears of happiness together.  
  
That had been the best moment of her life. And now, she was going to have another one.  
  
She stared lovingly at her husband to be, right across from her. She was ready to become his wife, hand in hand. Her mother, father, and Petunia were in the audience. Sirius was standing beside James, because he was the Best Man.  
  
Dumbledore was going to announce the wedding. He turned to James.  
  
"Do you, James Potter," he said, smiling, " Take this woman, to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"  
  
James turned towards Lily, smiling, and then back at Dumbledore.   
  
"I do!" he said happily. Dumbledore smiled, and than turned towards Lily.  
  
"And do you, Lily Andrews," said, "Take this man, to be your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part, as long as you both shall live?"  
  
"I, I..." Lily said shakily, her voice crackling and tears of happiness falling down her cheeks. "I do!"  
  
"Well, then," Dumbledore said, smiling all the while, "I think you know what to do."  
  
James and Lily nodded, and raised their wands.  
  
"To forever love you, no matter what should happen," James said, looking at Lily through happy, yet teary eyes.  
  
"To keep you in my heart, to love and cherish," said Lily. Then they both vowed at the same time.  
  
"May this bond of love between us never be broken, so we shall forever love, through all the good times and the bad!" Suddenly, a cloud of silver light emerged from their wands, and lifted them into the air. They held hands, and James placed a golden wedding ring onto Lily's ring finger. Lily did the same thing with James.  
  
"Now," Dumbledore said, James and Lily still floating, " All that said, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"  
  
James embraced Lily and stared into her eyes, then they kissed a wonderful kiss.  
  
The crowd cheered, and the new Lily Potter, along with her new husband, floated down off the cloud. Lily couldn't believe it. She was going to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved, James Potter.  
  
After the reception party, the dancing and of course the cake, Lily and James were sitting together in the living room of their new wizarding house, Godric Hollow. Lily was still in her wedding gown, and was sitting on James's lap, in front of the fire.  
  
"Oh James," Lily said rather sleepily, "I'm so happy."  
  
"Me too." James answered her, kissing her on the cheek softly. "Me too."  
  
I'm tired though. Maybe I should..." she stopped to yawn, "Go to bed."  
  
"I'll go too then, " he said.  
  
They went into the bedroom, changed into their nightclothes, and crawled into bed.  
  
"James," Lily asked before she went to sleep, "Do you think that we could have children someday?"  
  
"Of course, Lily, of course. If you want to." They smiled.  
  
James kissed Lily's neck, and she began to stroke his hair. Finally, Lily yawned.  
  
"I love you, James," she said, and then fell asleep.  
  
"I love you too, Lily," James answered her, completely aware that she was sleeping. " I love you too."  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
Lily Potter sat on the swing of her front porch on her and husband's house. One hand was on her stomach, as it had grown very large, seeing that she was already in her eighth month of her pregnancy.  
  
James Potter walked out onto the porch and smiled at his wife.  
  
"How's the baby doing?" he asked, smiling joyfully.  
  
"Should be here in a few weeks," Lily answered, also smiling. "Oh, James, I'm so happy! Not only am, I married to the man I love," she paused to kiss him on the cheek, "But I'm also going to have a wonderful child with him!"  
  
"Oh, but you should be happy! You could have married a better man!" Lily playful punched him in the arm. They went on like that, kissing, joking, and laughing together. It was true, they couldn't have been as happy married to any other people.  
  
Three weeks later, Lily had been listening to some music in the living room when she fell asleep. The dream she had was rather unusual.   
  
She was sitting in a quiet meadow, with butterflies, flowers, and puffy white clouds above the cool, breezy sky. There was beautiful sing in the background. Then, suddenly, the quiet meadow turned into a scary forest, the butterflies to snakes, the flowers to thorn bushes, and the beautiful sky to a thundering storm. The peaceful singing became a cackling evil laughter, and she was flung, in a flash of red light, into an eerie clearing. There was a tall shadow standing before her. It laughed even louder, and then she felt as if her stomach was in excruciating pain.  
  
Lily woke up screaming. She realized where she was, and figured out what must have happened.  
  
"James! James! Oh, James, come here!" she cried. Her husband rushed in with eyes full of worry. He looked down at his wife, who was clutching the arms of the chair.  
  
"James!" she said again, breathing harshly. "I- think- my- water- broke!"  
  
James stood there for a second, and then rushed over to Lily.   
  
"C'mon Lily! We have to get you upstairs!" It was hard work, but finally Lily made it upstairs and into the bedroom.  
  
"Lie down, Homey." James said soothingly. "I'll go get, um, who is it you want me to get?" James's voice was shaking. He was obviously nervous.  
  
"Get- Madrigal- O'Ryan!" Lily managed to say. James was about to Apparate to Madrigal, but Lily stopped him.  
  
"No! Don't leave- me!" she cried.  
  
"Don't worry, Lily, "James answered her. "I'll be back in a minute, I swear." He Apparated with a small POP, leaving Lily alone for a short while.  
  
"Oh, heavens," Lily thought, "Why does this have to be so much work?"  
  
James apparated back with Madrigal O'Ryan, Lily's best friend.  
  
"Oh, Lily!" she cried when she saw her. "You are going to be a mother!" Lily, who was in somewhat of an aggravated mood because of the pain, shouted at her,  
  
"Well, aren't you going to help me?! Can't you make the pain go away?!"  
  
"I'm sorry," Madrigal answered, "I can't make the pain go away. The pain of child bearing is just something your going to have to, well, bear. But, I do know some Muggle ways to make you feel better!"  
  
With Madrigal helping her along and James by her side, holding her hand through the long hours, Lily finally managed to have her baby.  
  
Madrigal wrapped the little infant in clean cloth and handed him to Lily.  
  
"Congratulations," she said, "It's a boy!"  
  
Lily held her baby close to her, shaking a bit and tears in her eyes.  
  
"Oh darling, precious little thing! Oh my baby, my baby!" she said crying gallons of happy tears. "James, look at your son! He's so beautiful!" James looked down at his son, and tears stung at his eyes.  
  
"Oh, look at his hair! He has your hair James! Oh, and your nose too! He looks do much like you!"  
  
"But he has your eyes, Lily," James said, smiling, "Your bright green eyes!"  
  
"But James Potter," Lily advised, "You are definitely your son's father."  
  
"I'm a father," he said, just realizing it. "I'm a father! Oh Lily, would you look at that? I'm a father, and that's my son!"   
  
A wide smile spread across his face, and he hugged his wife tightly.  
  
"I love you Lily! Oh my god, I love you!" Lily smiled and giggled, watching her husband run over to Madrigal, and hug her too.  
  
"James, James!" Lily called, giggling even more. "James, come here!" James obeyed his wife, and walked over to her happily.  
  
"What is it Honey?"  
  
"Well, we have to think of a name for him. We can't just call him, 'Baby'"  
  
"Hmmm..." James said putting his hand to his chin, thinking.  
  
"John?"  
  
"No, that won't do," lily said, also thinking.  
  
"George?"  
  
"Nah, that doesn't fit."  
  
"Marcus?" Madrigal tried.  
  
"No, that doesn't fit either."  
  
Suddenly, Lily sat up, her eyes wide, and a smile spreading across her face.  
  
"Harry," she said, "Harry James."  
  
James smiled.  
  
" Harry Potter," he said, "I like that. My son, Harry Potter!"  
  
They all smiled.  
  
"So shall I write up a birth certificate?" Madrigal asked. They nodded. Madrigal conjured a birth certificate out of thin air with her wand, took a quill and some ink out of her robes, and began to write.  
  
"Harold James Potter," she said aloud, "Born on the thirty-first of July, 1980. Parents, James and Lily Potter."  
  
"It's official!" James cried. "Our son is Harry Potter, with the most wonderful mother on earth!" He kissed Lily on the lips, and Lily smiled. She stared down into Harry's adorable face.  
  
"I'm a mother," Lily whispered happily.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
Lily Potter watched triumphantly as her baby son took his very first baby steps on the soft grass outside Godric Hollow. She clapped her hands as he fell down on his bottom after taking two steps.  
  
"Oh! What a talented little boy I have! Harry is such a smart boy!" she cooed.  
  
Suddenly, someone's hands clamped around Lily's eyes.  
  
"Guess who?" she heard her husband say.  
  
"Oh, James!" she giggled. Life with James was still filled with so much fun and love.  
  
"Oh look honey!" she said once her husband had sat down next to her, "Harry has taken his first baby steps!"   
  
James smiled at Harry.  
  
"I'm so proud of you, Harry!" he said, "Already walking! By this time next year, you'll be doing chores for your mother and me!"  
  
Lily laughed, and lied down on the soft grass. Her long hair covering her shoulders. James lied down next to her, holding Harry in his lap. He threw him up into the air while Lily gasped, but then James made him float in the air with his wand. Harry giggled and shook his arms and legs wildly.  
  
"James Potter!" Lily yelled, trying to sound stern, but a smile was creeping across her face.   
  
"Yes?" James answered sweetly, putting on his best surprised face. Lily rolled over laughing, and picked up her wand.  
  
"Accio Harry" she said, pointing her wand at Harry, and he flew into her arms.  
  
"As for you," she said, flashing a smile at James.  
  
"Kendradora!" she said, pointing her wand this time at James. James's shirt and pants started to inflate, until he looked like a big, fat man, and he floated upward about ten feet.  
  
"So, you inflate me today?" James said, smiling down at Lily, "I guess tomorrow you'll give me jelly legs."  
  
Lily laughed again and brought her husband down, deflating him.  
  
"C'mon, Honey," Lily said, picking up Harry and stretching. "Harry's getting tired, let's put him down for a lap, okay?"  
  
James nodded and they walked inside together. Lily rocked Harry to sleep, and placed him in his crib in the nursery. Then she walked over to where her husband was sitting, and sat on his lap.  
  
"Oh James," Lily said, gently stroking his hair, "I hate all of this hiding business. Ever since Harry was born, well, You-Know-Who has been after us. I hate it, hate it, hate it! We haven't been able to see our friends in months, and this terror is scaring me to death. Sometimes I don't think Harry will even live to see his first birthday, but I know that he will, since it's tomorrow."  
  
James pulled Lily closer to him.  
  
"Don't worry," he said, "Peter will be a grand secret keeper, and keep us safe. But I still wish that Sirius had been able to. Somehow, I think that would have been better. But, I'm probably just overreacting." He kissed Lily's neck, and hugged her closer.  
  
Lily returned the hug. She didn't know what she would do if she lost James or Harry. She loved them too much to imagine the world going on without them.   
  
"I love you so much, my darlings." she thought, and with that in mind, she fell quietly asleep on James's lap.   
  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lily was in the beautiful meadow again, but this time, she could hear the words to the song:  
  
Through good times and bad,  
  
We will be together forever.  
  
It may be sad,  
  
But sometimes the person you love,  
  
Must leave you.  
  
That doesn't mean,  
  
That you can't be together.  
  
But you must always keep them in your heart.  
  
  
Your heart is filled with the happiness,  
  
Your love has given you.  
  
Your mind is filled with the comforting thoughts,  
  
"I love you, my darling."  
  
  
Sometimes you must give,  
  
For a person to live.  
  
So they might have hopes,  
  
Of loving, and caring...  
  
So they will have lives of their own.  
  
Through good times, and the bad,  
  
We will be together forever.  
  
Live your life,  
  
Let your love go on.  
  
Sometimes we must say,  
  
"Good-bye."  
  
  
It was comforting, but the words made Lily feel scared. Who was going to due? What was going to happen to James, Harry and herself?   
  
Suddenly, she was transported back to the ugly clearing, with the tall shadow, laughing harder than ever. Louder than Lily had ever heard it. It was making her curl up in fright...  
  
  
  
  
  
Lily woke with as start on James's shoulder.  
  
"Honey, what's the matter?" James asked his wife worriedly. "You were shaking. Is something wrong, Lily?"  
  
"James," she whispered, "Something's wrong, something's going to happen. I, I just know it!"  
  
As if on cue, the front door burst open with a loud BANG. And there, in the doorway, stood the evil figure from Lily's dream. The evil, bloodthirsty creature full of dark magic, none other than...Lord Voldemort!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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